Apparatus for oiling over-head valves of engine



April 14, 1959 S. A. FULTON APPARATUS FOR OILINC OVER -HEAD VALVES OF ENGINE Filed Jan. 19, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. STA NFORD A. FULTON Uw w w ATTORNEYS APPARATUS FOR OILING OVER-HEAD VALVES OF ENGINE Filed Jan. 19, 1956 April 14, 1959 s; A. FULTON 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. STANFORD A. FULTON A T TOR NEYS United States Patent APPARATUS FOR OILING OVER-HEAD VALVES OF ENGINE Stanford A. Fulton, Columbus, Ohio Application January 19, 1956, Serial No. 560,143

9 Claims. (Cl. 184-6) This invention relates generally to lubricating systerns for engines more particularly to an apparatus for supplying a bath of lubricating oil to the overhead valve mechanism of a vehicle engine.

Conventional vehicle engines of the type equipped with overhead valve mechanism include a rocker arm shaft with a plurality of rocker arms mounted thereon. Push rods are provided for operating the rocker arms which in turn actuate the intake and exhaust valves of the engine. In many instances such valve actuating mechanisms are provided with a hollow rocker arm shaft to which a flow of oil from the crankcase of the engine is pumped for the purpose of lubricating the bearing surfaces of the rocker arms. Holes are provided in such hollow shafts at the bearing surfaces for the intended purpose of constantly supplying a flow of oil to such bearing surfaces. Such an arrangement presents a problem in that the crankcase oil supplied to the hollow rocker arm shaft soon becomes dirty with the undesirable result that the rocker arm shaft and oil outlet holes soon become plugged with dirt and sludge such that the bearing surfaces of the valve actuating mechanism fail to receive lubrication and hence are subjected to excessive wear and become inefiicient and noisy.

In general the apparatus of the present invention comprises a shallow pan mounted within the valve cover and above the rocker arms, push rods, and rocker arm shaft. Clean filtered oil is continuously supplied to the pan through a fitting mounted on the top of the valve cover which fitting is connected by an oil line to the outlet fitting on the oil cleaner of the engine. The bottom of the shallow pan is provided with a plurality of spaced holes the locations of which correspond with the location of rocker arm bearing surfaces and the bearing surfaces between the tops of the push rods and the rocker arms. In the application of the invention to a conventional six cylinder engine twenty four of such holes are provided and the dripping action of the clean filtered oil through these holes provides a constant lubricating and washing action for all of the working and moving parts of the valve actuating mechanism such that the mechanism is actually operated in a bath of clean oil.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which can be attached to an engine to continuously supply a bath of clean oil to the overhead valve mechanism whereby such mechanism is operated in an oil bath environment.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus of the type described which makes more efiicient use of the conventional oil filter of a vehicle engine by receiving the clean oil being delivered from the filter and distributing same to the valve actuating mechanism to provide washing action for such mechanism. Hence the present apparatus eliminates the conventional practice of returning the clean filtered oil directly to the relatively dirty oil and sludge in the crankcase of the engine.

It is another object of the present invention to provide apparatus of the type described which decreases valve noise in the operation of an overhead valve typ of engine.

It is another object of the present invention to provide apparatus of the type described which greatly increases the period during which the valves of an overhead valve type engine can be operated without adjustment, which prevents frozen or stuck valve lifters, and which provides more eflicient valve operation with the result that engine vibration is decreased and the power output of the engine is increased.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which can be attached to the overhead valve mechanism of an engine and which is adapted to effect an evenly distributed washing action to the various portions of such mechanism by each quart of clean oil added during an oil change.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the overhead valve actuating mechanism of an engine with the apparatus of the present invention being applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of an oil distribution means which comprises a portion of the apparatus of the present invention; and

Figure 3 is a side elevation view of the oil distributing means of Figure 2 which view shows the location of such means in its operative position within the valve cover of an engine. The section is taken along the line 33 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing, an internal combustion engine of the conventional six cylinder automotive type is indicated generally at 20. Such engine includes a head 21, cylinder block 22 and crankcase portion 23. A valve cover 25 is provided for housing the overhead valve actuating mechanism, the lower edge 26 of the cover 25 being adapted-to seal with the surface 27 on the top of the cylinder head 21.. The valve cover 25 includes a pair of holes 28 located to receive a pair of mounting studs 30. A pair of nuts 31 and gasket washers 32 are provided for retaining the valve cover 25 in mounted relationship on head Ill. When nuts 31 are tightened the lower edge 26 of Valve cover 25 is drawn downwardly against a gasket or sealing compound on the surface 27 to provide a sealed chamber for the valve actuating mechanism.

An oil filler cap 34 is located on the top of cover 25 through which clean oil for the crankcase of the engine is introduced. The head 21 includes conduit means of a conventional type, not illustrated, which conduit means are conventionally provided in engines of this type for the purpose of conducting oil added at 34 down into the crankcase of the engine.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2, a shallow oil distributing tray 36 is located within valve cover 25 and provided with a pair of holes 37 for receiving the same studs 30 used for mounting the cover 25. may be blanked and formed from a single piece of sheet metal stock to include side walls 38, end walls 39 and a bottom wall 40.

As illustrated in Figure 3', when the tray 36 is in an operating position the under surface of bottom wall 40 rests on nuts 54, carried on studs 30, and nuts 53 are tightened against the upper surface of tray bottom 40 to removably retrain the tray in the mounted position of Figure 3.

The nuts 53 and 54- on either the front or rear stud 30 can be independently raised or lowered to adjust the inclination of tray 36 in a longitudinal direction. Hence the tray can be readily leveled or inclined as desired.

Referring to Figure 1, the engine is provided with a The tray 36 3 conventional cartridge type oil filter 45 which includes an intake line 46 for receiving pressurized oil from the crankcase of the engine, and a discharge line 47 which delivers clean filtered oil to the oil distributing tray 36. A shut-01f valve 33 may be provided in line 47 as shown in Figure 1.

Line 47 is coupled to a fitting 48 which may be readily installed on the top of valve cover 25 by a hollow bolt 49 and nut 50. As seen in Figure 30, a hole 51 in hollow bolt 49 communicates with an annular chamber 52 in fitting 48 whereby oil can pass from line 47 to the oil distributing tray 36. If desired, fitting 48 can be installed on filler cap 34 to facilitate disconnection of cover 25 from line 47.

As seen in Figures 1 and 3 the valve actuating mechanism of the engine 20 comprises a plurality of rocker arms 55 mounted on a rocker arm shaft 56 and actuated by push rods 57. Rocker arm shaft 56 is mounted on the head 21 by a plurality of supports 59 certain of which carry the cover mounting studs 30.

The rocker arms 55 include a bearing surface 61 at the surface of contact with shaft 56 and a bearing surface 62 at the surface of contact with the top of push rod 57. These bearing surfaces 61 and 62 represent certain of the portions of the apparatus subjected to heavy operational load and hence the holes 64 in tray 36 are each located over a bearing surface 61 and the holes 65 are each located over a bearing surface 62.

The bottom wall 40 of tray 36 is provided with a longitudinally extending trough 67 which connects the spaced holes 64 and a second longitudinally extending trough 68 which connects the spaced holes 68. Troughs 67 and 68 provide channels for the flow of oil from the points of introduction, at either fitting 48 or filler cap 34, to the various holes 64 or 65, respectively.

The troughs 67 and 68 may be pressed into the bottom wall 40 of the tray 36 at the time such tray is being formed to provide bulged stifieners or ribs that furnish rigidity whereby the tray can be formed of relatively thin sheet metal.

In operation, pressurized filtered oil is delivered from filter 45 through line 47 to the fitting 48 and thence onto the top of oil distributing tray 36. The flowing oil moves along the troughs 67 and 68 and gravitates downwardly through holes 64 and 65 and onto each of the bearing surfaces 61 and 62. The holes 64 and 65 are of relatively small cross sectional area whereby the troughs 67 and 68 will flow full and hence deliver oil through each of the holes located therealong. Hence the bearing surfaces 61 and 62, the rocker arms 55, rocker arm shaft 56 and the other associated elements of the mechanism will be continuously subjected to a bath of clean filtered oil whereby the mechanism is maintained clean and adequately supplied with lubrication. When oil is introduced through filler cap 34, at times when the engine oil is being changed, tray 36 serves the added function of distributing each quart of new clean oil over the entire valve actuating mechanism in the same manner that the filtered oil is distributed over the valve actuating mechanism during the operation of the engine.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming Within the scope of the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for supplying lubricating oil to the overhead valve mechanism of an engine of the type wherein a plurality of rocker arms are each mounted on a rocker arm shaft at a bearing surface and engageable with a push rod at a second bearing surface, which apparatus comprises, in combination, removable cover means for enclosing said overhead valve mechanism, said cover means being in sealed engagement with the top of said engine to form a sealed chamber; removable tray means within said chamber and overlying said roclger arms, said tray means including a bottom wall, side walls, and holes through said bottom walls, the location of said holes corresponding with the location of said bearing surfaces; mounting means for removably supporting said tray means on said engine; and means for supplying oil to said tray means.

2. Apparatus for supplying lubricating oil to the overhead valve mechanism of an engine of the type wherein a plurality of rocker arms are each mounted on a rocker arm shaft at a bearing surface and engageable with a push rod at a second bearing surface, which apparatus comprises, in combination, removable cover means for enclosing said overhead valve mechanism, said cover means being in sealed engagement with the top of said engine to form a sealed chamber; horizontally disposed guide means overlying said rocker arms for retaining oil thereabove, said guide means including a plurality of horizontally spaced exit ports whereby oil from said guide means is directed onto said bearing surfaces; mounting means for removably supporting said guide means, said mounting means including a member carried by said engine and forming a shoulder in supporting engagement with the under portion of said guide means, and means forming a second shoulder in engagement with the upper portion of said guide means; and means for supplying oil to said guide means.

3. Apparatus defined in claim 2 characterized by said mounting means being vertically adjustable relative to said engine.

4. Apparatus for supplying lubricating oil to the overhead valve mechanism of an engine of the type wherein a plurality of rocker arms are each mounted on a rocker arm shaft at a bearing surface and engageable with a push rod at a second bearing surface, which apparatus comprises, in combination, removable cover means for enclosing said overhead valve mechanism, said cover means being in sealed engagement with the top of said engine to form a sealed chamber; horizontally disposed guide means overlying said rocker arms for retaining oil thereabove, said guide means including a plurality of horizontally spaced exit ports whereby oil from said guide means is directed onto said bearing surfaces, said guide means also including a mounting hole; mounting means for removably supporting said guide means, said mounting means including a rod member carried by said engine and forming a shoulder in supporting engagement with the under portion of said guide means, said rod member being secured to said engine and extended through said mounting hole in said guide means; and means for supplying oil to said guide means.

5. Apparatus defined in claim 4 characterized by said shoulder of said mounting means being vertically adjustable relative to said engine.

6. Apparatus for supplying lubricating oil to the overhead valve mechanism of an engine of the type wherein a plurality of rocker arms are each mounted on a rocker arm shaft at a bearing surface and engageable with a push rod at a second bearing surface, which apparatus com prises, in combination, removable cover means for enclosing said overhead valve mechanism, said cover means being in sealed engagement with the top of said engine to form a sealed chamber said cover including a mounting hole; horizontally disposde guide means overlying said rocker arms for retaining oil thereabove, said guide means including a plurality of horizontally spaced exit ports, the location of said exit ports corresponding to the location of said bearing surfaces whereby oil from said guide means is directed onto said bearing surfaces, said guide means also including a mounting hole; mounting means for removably supporting said guide means, said mounting means including a member carried by said engine and a portion forming a shoulder in supporting engagement with the under portion of said guide means, said member being extended through said mounting hole and having a lower end connected to said engine and an upper end connected to said cover means, said upper end of said member being threaded whereby said cover means is clamped downwardly agaizrst said engine; and means for supplying oil to said guide means.

7. Apparatus defined in claim 6 characterized by said portion forming a shoulder being provided by a threaded element carried on said threaded portion of said member, and by a second threaded element carried on said threaded portion of said member and in engagement with the upper portion of said guide means.

8. Apparatus for supplying lubricating oil to the overhead valve mechanism of an engine of the type wherein a plurality of rocker arms are each mounted on a rocker arm shaft at a bearing surface and engageable with a push rod at a second bearing surface, which apparatus comprises, in combination, removable cover means for enclosing said overhead valve mechanism, said cover means being in sealed engagement with the top of said engine to form a sealed chamber; removable tray means within said chamber and overlying said rocker arms, said tray means including a bottom wall, side walls, a longitudinally extending groove in the upper surface of said bottom wall, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced holes through the bottom of said groove, the location of said holes corresponding with the location of said bearing surfaces; mounting means for removably supporting said tray means on said engine; and means for supplying oil to said tray means.

9. Apparatus defined in claim 8 characterized by said tray means being formed of sheet metal, said longitudinally extending groove being formed by a bulged portion in said bottom wall, and said side walls being integrally formed with said bottom wall by upwardly turned flanges at the edge thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,478,094 Barrett Dec. 18, 1923 1,935,496 Baughrnan Nov. 14, 1933 1,938,506 Wellman Dec. 5, 1933 2,215,117 Cressman Sept. 17, 1940 

